Title: In Flight

Series: Sophie Fournier, Book Eight

Author: K.R. Collins

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 02/18/2025

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 74100

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, contemporary, sports, family-drama, lesbian, ice hockey

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Description

As she enters her ninth season in the North American Hockey League, Sophie’s pressure on herself to perform well has never been higher. Next season will mark a decade as the first woman in the League, a milestone no one will let her forget, especially as her expected replacement will be old enough to be drafted herself.

Sophie has the support of Coach Elison and her team behind her. She has come into her own on the ice as the captain and face of the Concord Condors. Off the ice, her life is looking good as well. She and Elsa are living together with plans to build a home, provided Concord signs them to contract extensions.

As always, though, it isn’t enough. Sophie has her eyes set on the Maple Cup, the trophy given to the best hockey team each year. She has all the motivation she needs—a contract to live up to, a personal hockey hero on the team who has never lifted the Cup before, and a need to prove herself, again, before Emily Skelton is drafted and takes the League by storm.

In Flight
K.R. Collins © 2025
All Rights Reserved

They’re in the kitchen. Sophie’s mom is a restless person, like Sophie, but instead of only feeling settled when she’s on the ice, her mom just needs something in her hands. Right now, her mom is reorganizing the Tupperware drawer, but she pauses in order to give Sophie her full attention.

Sophie has always felt a bit intimidated by her mother. For as long as Sophie has known her, she has had a husband, children, a job, and a house. It’s all seemed effortless. Maybe it’s the nature of being a parent, but in comparison to her mom, Sophie has always felt as though she was falling short of her mom’s example.

Her mom would be devastated if Sophie ever admitted it but for all the incredible things Sophie has done with her life, when she compares herself to her mom, she only sees what her mom’s accomplished that Sophie hasn’t.

Sophie’s mom loves her, something Sophie has never doubted. Her well-meaning attempts to set Sophie up with her neighbors’ sons or coworkers’ daughters is because she believes everyone else should love Sophie too. Sophie never understood it, and she didn’t particularly want it. But now that Sophie has Elsa, she wants to tell her mom.

“I want a few sundresses,” Sophie says. She tries not to be offended at her mom’s shocked expression. “You know I’m only here for a week. It’s because I’m flying to Sweden.”

“Sweden?” her mom repeats. Then, questioningly, “Elsa?”

“Elsa,” Sophie confirms, rather than saying there’s no other reason for her to go to Sweden.

“And you want sundresses for your visit?” her mom asks slowly, her words measured. She sounds as if she’s drawing conclusions and is giving Sophie the time to tell her they’re wrong.

“I do. I’m—we’re—” Sophie planned what she was going to say. She practiced. And now, all those carefully chosen words are gone.

“You’re…” her mom prompts.

“Dating,” Sophie says in a rush. “Elsa and I are dating.”

Sophie’s mom draws in a sharp breath. She covers her mouth with her hands. Her eyes fill with tears. Sophie hopes this is a positive sign.

“Oh, sweetie.” Her mom holds her arms out. “Will you hug me?”

“Mom,” Sophie groans, but she submits to the hug.

“I’m so happy for you. Will the two of you visit us as well?”

“That’s the plan. We’re going to train in Sweden and then stop by Concord to sign our extensions and then I’d like to bring Elsa here to meet you and Dad. I mean, she’s met you, obviously, but meet you meet you.”

“Sophie.” Her mom cuts off her babbling by cupping Sophie’s face between her hands. “We’ll be happy to host the two of you. Maybe Elsa will tell me the truth about these house rumors.”

“I’ll tell you,” Sophie says. She hasn’t yet, because she wanted her mom to know the honest answer and not the story Sophie and Elsa are spinning to the press. “We’re building a house. And after we go to Sweden, we’re going to sign matching contracts.”

Her mom’s eyes shine with tears, but Sophie thinks they’re happy tears. “You don’t do anything by halves, do you?”

“I love her,” Sophie says. Her mom knows what a monumental confession that is.

What her mom doesn’t know are all the details. She doesn’t know that Sophie first met Elsa at a U-Tournament in Zurich. She doesn’t know that if Sophie hadn’t been invited to the NAHL draft, she was going to Sweden to play with Elsa. Her mom doesn’t know that after Elsa signed her first extension with Concord, Sophie tattooed Elsa’s number on her hip.

Sophie has known since Zurich that Elsa was special. She didn’t realize the degree to which Elsa was special to her until recently. They were teammates, and Sophie thought that was all she wanted. But she wants Elsa to be in her life after hockey. She wants Elsa to be more than hockey.

Hockey is where it began for them, but it won’t be where it ends.

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K.R. Collins went to college in Pennsylvania where she learned to write and fell in love with hockey. When she isn’t working or writing, she watches hockey games and claims it’s for research. Find K.R. on Twitter.

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